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Let me start by saying I am a Wings fan and just a plain Hockey nut, but nothing is a guarantee in hockey. Just ask some of those loaded Wings teams before the cap that lost in the first & second round of the playoffs. I think Pittsburgh has some of the best young talent in the game and should do alright next year. However, they are losing some of that character that got them to cup this year and sometimes that isn't easy to replace. Malone a good hard nosed player, Roberts a wiley veteran, Hossa the second best playoff producer on their team and possibly more to come with Orpik. The Wings try to keep their core players and build around them. Draper & Maltby may not be household names, but they are good defensively with speed and chip in the occasional goal. That's why they have been here ten plus years along Listrom & Holmstrom and now have a new core coming in with Zetterberf, Datsyuk, Franzen, Kronwall, etc. They lock these guys up for less money than they can get in other places because they know they will contend year in and year out. They all buy into the team and have one goal every year, win the cup, while other teams goals are to just make the playoffs. Hossa signed for one year, but don't be surprised if he fits in that he will not be around a long time. The cap may continue to increase and they will fit him in and he will take less money to win more cups. I will agree that it was probably better that he did not sign in Pittsburgh with all the money tied up in Crosby and Malkin, but they still have to replace several key players from their cup run. Better watch out for Tampa Bay too. They are by far the most improved team this off season and the new owners look like they want to upgrade that team quickly. Malone, Roberts, Hall, Vrbata, Prospal, Kolzig, Stamkos is a lot to add and I bet they aint done either. Plus they still have Lecavlier & St. Louis.
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